Srinagar, Dec 4: In order to ensure that there is no violation of COVID guidelines, district administration Srinagar on Friday set up COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) enforcement teams for conducting surprise checks across the summer capital
The members of each team comprise SHO of the concerned police station, SI State Taxes and a member of State Disaster Response Force and Naib Tehsildar.
The surveillance squads are mandated to make necessary market inspections, to ensure all the guidelines issued by State Executive Committee (SEC) and District Disaster Management Srinagar are strictly followed, said an order issued by the district administration.
“The teams have been further mandated to ensure that COVID19 appropriate behavior like wearing of face mask, social distancing, proper hand sanitisation is adhered to by general public,” said Sub Divisional Magistrate and Nodal Officer COVID19 Mitigation Srinagar Owais Mushtaq.
He added that the team in-charge is empowered and authorised for imposing fine of up to Rs 500 in case of any violation of COVID19 SOPs.
He informed that the surveillance squads have also been directed to submit daily information related to fine collection to this office of COVID-19 Control Room Srinagar.
To ensure effective implementation of surveillance order, Tehsildar concerned have been directed to ensure that Surveillance Squads for COVID Appropriate Behavior are present at their respective places or naqas.
“They shall personally inspect the designated spots/naqas on daily basis. Furthermore, SDMs concerned shall ensure submission of daily information by the Surveillance Squads,” said an official.
The experts have earlier warned that non-adherence to CAB could trigger an increase in the positivity rate in Srinagar.
Experts have expressed concern over the violations of COVID19 SOPs and said that negligence as people demonstrate in markets, roads and public transport can prove a disaster. “It may also hasten the arrival of the predicted third wave of virus,” they said.
After a recent decline, Srinagar district has witnessed the highest number of positive COVID19 cases among other districts in recent past weeks.
Recently, J&K government released an analysis of the casualties due to COVID19 in the Kashmir division. As per the data pertaining to approximately three months, those who had not taken COVID19 vaccine were at least five times more at risk of dying than those who had taken both doses of vaccine.
The data analysis of pre-vaccine period and post-vaccine period in Kashmir was also carried out and it was found that vaccines have reduced the rate of hospital admissions by more than half. On 19 November, this year, Jammu and Kashmir Government reviewed the preventive efforts of the District Administrations against surge in COVID19 cases.
District Administrations were directed to adopt systematic and innovative means for effective clinical management measures in a planned manner. Divisional Commissioners were directed to constitute COVID inspection teams at the Divisional and District levels for conducting random inspections of various public places and health institutions.